


Noticing That Way

by TMar



Category: The Sentinel (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-05 06:52:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16362992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TMar/pseuds/TMar
Summary: What if Jim and Blair were both bi but were too obtuse to notice each other, and dated other guys instead?





	Noticing That Way

**Author's Note:**

> British spelling use throughout. I had no idea this wasn't posted, so here it is, 20 years later.

"Jim, I'm going out tonight, so don't bother making a lot of food, okay?"  
Blair Sandburg said to his partner on the phone.

Jim Ellison was typing a report into the computer, and he just grunted an  
affirmative. It eventually occurred to him to ask who it was with, because  
Blair seemed a bit more nervous than usual.

Blair sounded a bit unsure. "Uh... David. You know, the TA who started here  
this semester?"

"Oh. Yeah, you pointed him out once. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Five foot  
eight." He would have added a weight estimation, too, but Blair stopped him.

"Yeah, that's him. Don't make him sound like he's on America's Most Wanted."

Jim laughed. "Sure, okay. Bye, Chief."

Jim continued to type the report, musing to himself how this was Blair's  
first 'official' date with a guy since he'd known him.

***

It had taken a long time before Blair had felt comfortable enough to tell  
Jim about this side of him... the side that liked men, that liked to *be*  
with men 'that way'. But when he had made a comment about it during a movie  
\- he couldn't remember which one, now, except that it had been a comedy -  
and Jim had taken it in stride, he had confessed.

And Jim had just smiled and replied, "Bisexual, huh? Me too," and let it go  
at that.

Blair had been afraid to press Jim for details, even though he had pressed  
Jim for details about everything else in his life. Somehow, he couldn't  
imagine Jim telling him about this side of himself, or... anything more. If  
there was even 'anything more' to tell. Jim might say he was bisexual, but  
that didn't mean he acted on it, did it?

Still, Blair had been reluctant to accept offers of dates from any men who  
asked, because despite Jim's admission it was still uncomfortable, and  
anyway, few of the men who'd asked him had been his type.

Jim would have laughed if Blair had actually said that to him, because Jim  
was forever joking about how any woman was Blair's type - all she needed was  
to be warm and have two X chromosomes. So Blair had assumed that Jim would  
think the same thing about men.

David, though, was different. He was studious but charming, and had a wicked  
sense of humour that he only displayed around people that he knew well. And  
he had Blair had eaten lunch on campus quite often lately, taken walks,  
discussed university politics... Blair liked him. And when David had said  
that he was gay and wanted to go out with him, the Guide had been unable to  
say no. He had worried about what Jim would say, but Jim had taken this in  
stride as well. Blair mused that maybe Mister 'In Control' was finally  
loosening up a bit.

***

Jim got home before Blair, and put on some ten minute pasta while he took a  
shower, which was when his Guide arrived.

When Jim came out of the shower, Blair was changing in his room. Jim could  
hear him muttering to himself as he tried to find a decent outfit. "I don't  
want to look desperate for love. No, no, can't wear that. Don't want to look  
easy, either. No. No, no, no. Jim!"

Jim leaned on the door frame in front of the one door which was open. "Yeah,  
Chief?"

"This sounds silly, but I don't know what to wear!"

Jim smirked. He honestly couldn't help himself. "It's not like you'll have  
those clothes on all night anyway, so does it really matter?"

Blair was a bit hurt at that, but he knew on some level he deserved it. He  
did tend to boink first and ask questions later. "I am *not* sleeping with  
him on a first date, Jim!"

Jim just smirked some more. "Sure, Chief."

"Jim, you are so not helping here."

The Sentinel sighed, turning back to rescue his pasta from overcooking. "I  
dunno. Why not wear that green shirt you wore a couple of weeks back? Looks  
good on you." He busied himself with mixing the pasta sauce so that it  
wouldn't sound as though he was being too appreciative. They had a good  
friendship, a good working relationship, and he didn't want to mess it up by  
bringing sex into it.

Blair was abjectly grateful. "Oh, hey, yeah, perfect!"

Jim heard the rustling of clothes as Blair dressed, and decided that his  
partner had probably taken his advice.

There was a knock at the door just as Jim was about to start eating his  
dinner.

"Jim, don't you dare get that!" Blair yelled, not wanting poor David to be  
confronted with Blair's very *male* roommate.

But it was too late, as Jim had already reached the door.

The young man on the other side of the door had never met Jim Ellison, and  
he was a bit taken aback. "Uh... I'm here to pick up Blair Sandburg?"

"Come in," Jim said graciously, trying not to smirk. He didn't know why he  
had the urge to smirk all the time. Something about Sandburg dating guys  
just struck him funny - funny 'ha-ha', not funny as in 'weird'. He wondered  
if Blair would use the same moves on this young man that he used on co-eds  
and other members of the female persuasion.

David walked in slowly, as Blair rushed out of his room. "Jim, I told..." He  
stopped, taking in David standing there looking a little... bewildered. "Hey,  
Dave."

"Uh... hi."

Jim chose this moment to chime in. "Oh. Sorry." He didn't sound very sorry.  
"I'm Jim Ellison. I'm Blair's roommate."

David had seen Jim around the campus once or twice, but he'd never really  
put him together with Blair, so to speak. David shook the hand that Jim was  
holding out, but he still looked puzzled.

Blair was putting on his jacket even as David tried to make sense of the  
whole thing. "Yeah, Jim graciously allowed me to move in here after my other  
place blew up."

David relaxed a tiny bit. "Blew up?" he repeated, finally looking away from  
Jim.

"Yeah. Lemme tell you about it on the way to the play..."

The pair went out the door, Blair giving Jim a quick wave and David smiling  
as if in apology for not staying longer.

Jim went back to his dinner, feeling in a rather chipper mood.

***

The play - a college (i.e., modernised) version of 'Othello' - was quite  
enjoyable, but they of course didn't get to talk much to each other, except  
at the intermission. Blair had told David his 'drug lab next door' story on  
the way to the university's small theatre.

Now the two of them were having a late supper at a Mexican place which had  
just opened.

After they had been seated and ordered, David couldn't contain his curiosity  
anymore. "You didn't tell me you had a roommate," he said, knowing he  
sounded somewhat accusing.

Blair shrugged. "To some people it seems funny, but Jim is this super  
detective type, and I get to follow him around for my dissertation."

"And he doesn't mind... you know...?"

Blair decided not to tell David that Jim had said he was also bi. First, he  
didn't feel it was any of David's business, and second, David might feel  
threatened by another man. "No, he doesn't mind. He's my best friend."

***

Jim watched ESPN distractedly, wondering why Sandburg could get a date and  
he couldn't. Well, that wasn't strictly true. He could have dated any one of  
the women from the precinct who were always inviting him out, but he'd tried  
that too often, and it got boring real fast. No, maybe he needed to take a  
leaf out of Blair's book and accept the next time a *guy* asked him out. He  
hadn't been out with another man in *years*, literally, and sometimes he did  
miss it. Yes, that's what he'd do. Go out with a guy again. Have some  
masculine, meaningless sex, maybe. What the heck.

***

Jim was asleep when Blair came in, but as soon as the door closed, the  
Sentinel awoke. It was a habit of his to check Blair with his senses, see if  
he was 'okay'. This was how he knew whenever Blair slept with a co-ed: he  
could smell it.

This time, however, Blair did not smell as though he'd had sex, not with  
David, or anybody. He did smell a little of the other man's scent on Blair,  
so they must have made out a little, but they hadn't gone 'all the way'. Jim  
grinned to himself. Maybe Sandburg was finally learning some restraint.

***

"So, how was your date last night, Chief?" Jim asked, buttering the toast  
while Blair scrambled them some eggs.

Blair turned and looked to see if Jim was trying to be funny, but he seemed  
simply curious. "It was good. We went to the Rainier Students' production of  
'Othello', which would have been great had they not tried to do that 'Romeo  
and Juliet' thing with it."

Jim wanted to ask, "What 'Romeo and Juliet' thing?", but he kept silent  
because he wanted to hear about the date itself.

Blair simply continued. "We had dinner at that new Mexican place - great  
food, good company. And that's it."

Jim calculated. "Let's see... two hours for the play, an hour and a half for  
dinner... You got in after midnight. There's an hour missing somewhere. Were  
you abducted by aliens? Call the FBI!"

"Okay, so we made out in the car for a while! Geez, Jim!"

Jim just smirked again. "I haven't made out in a car in years. Still fun?"

Blair placed his eggs in front of him, then said in a conspiratorial tone,  
"Oh, yeah."

Jim smiled a genuine smile this time. "Enjoying yourself, Chief?"

"Yeah." Blair paused. "It's different with a guy, you know? Women always  
expect... I dunno... more. With a guy, it is what it is. We're not sitting  
there watching Shakespeare and I'm thinking about the society of the time  
and she's planning the wedding and the colours of the drapes we're going to  
buy. With a guy, we're both watching it and thinking pretty much the same  
thing... well, maybe not exactly. But I know he isn't planning ten years  
down the road. Know what I mean?"

"Yeah." Jim did know.

***

Blair continued to date David, and Jim tried to open himself to the advances  
of other guys. None made any advances for a while, but one day while he was  
at the gym, Jim noticed another of the regulars looking at him. It occurred  
to him that this guy - Alan; he was a uniformed officer who'd transferred  
from Tacoma - had been 'looking' at him almost every time he'd seen him  
recently. This time, Jim looked back, and gave him a friendly - not too  
friendly, just in case - smile.

As he expected, Alan approached him later when he was packing his things  
after taking a shower. Alan was a handsome man - strawberry blonde hair,  
green eyes, well-built, about two inches shorter than Jim himself. "Hi,  
Jim?"

"Yeah. Jim Ellison. I know you - Alan Russell, right?"

"Right. Listen, Jim, this might be way out of line, but do you wanna get  
some coffee or dinner with me?"

"Sure, that'd be nice."

***

They went to an Italian place not too far from the gym, but not so close  
that it was frequented by cops, and the other man got right to the point.

"I've been getting up the nerve to ask you out for weeks. Glad I finally did  
it."

"What, do I look like the poster boy for Heterosexual America?"

Alan laughed. "Something like that. Didn't wanna be knocked on my ass for  
coming on to Cascade's best detective if he wasn't interested."

"Hey, I can relate. Yeah, I'm interested, but not *too* interested, if you  
know what I mean." Jim felt that he had to lay his cards on the table right  
away.

"I probably do, but tell me anyway."

"This is good." Jim indicated the restaurant and their food. "We could go a  
place or two. Sex, sure. But I'm not looking to fly to Hawaii or pick out  
china patterns."

Alan looked relieved. "That's okay. Neither am I. But I like you, Jim.  
You've always been straight with people." He and Jim both grinned at the  
choice of words. "And you certainly are easy on the eyes."

"Ugh, ugh," Jim grunted, doing a Tarzan imitation and making them both laugh.  
"You aren't bad yourself," Jim said, returning the compliment.

"Thanks. So, you wanna get together again?"

"Sure. Got a place in mind?"

"How about we go to a Jags game?"

"That'd be great," Jim agreed.

***

So Jim found himself dating a guy as well. While Blair went to all sorts of  
intellectual (Jim assumed) venues with his date, Jim hung out with Alan and  
went places. He always timed his dates, as much as possible, to coincide  
with Blair's. He wasn't sure why, but he told himself that it would be  
easier on the both of them if they and their dates didn't meet up just yet.  
Unfortunately, his luck was not to last.

Alan wanted to come by the loft on Friday night , and Jim knew he had no  
good reason to refuse. It had been over two weeks, and they still had not  
slept together. They had fun, they could feel an attraction - they made out  
in Jim's truck and Alan's car a couple of times - but they both seemed  
content to take it slow. However, Jim knew that if he let Alan come to the  
loft, it would be the signal that they were going to have sex.

And he did want to have sex, but it was more than that. He'd told Blair no  
sex in the loft, so he didn't feel right breaking that rule if Blair  
couldn't. Maybe he could tell Blair that he'd suspend that rule...

So Jim found himself cooking dinner for himself and Alan when Blair breezed  
in. Jim was surprised as he'd been sure that Blair had a date with David  
that night.

"Smells good, Jim, what is it?"

"Lasagne, Chief."

"Oooh. You seldom make that. Too much trouble, I think you said. Got a hot  
date?"

Jim had told Blair about his companion, but they hadn't yet met. "Actually,  
yeah. Sort of a stay-at-home thing. He's bringing the movies, I'm cooking."

Blair pretended to shudder. "Don't tell me. Steven Seagal or Bruce Willis or  
Arnie."

"I'll have you know those films are quality entertainment," Jim said,  
pretending to pout. He knew Blair's opinion of action movies all too well.  
Blair preferred movies with more depth, movies with shades of grey.

"If you're fourteen," mumbled Blair under his breath, knowing Jim would hear.

"Hey, I heard that!"

Blair laughed. "I'm just here to shower and change. David and I are going  
clubbing." He headed into the bathroom.

The lasagne was done when Blair got out, and he stole a forkful before  
rushing for the door. "Enjoy, Big Guy," he said, opening the door.

And Alan was standing on the other side. "Hi, Sandburg."

Blair wasn't really surprised that Jim's date knew his name. Probably  
everyone at the precinct did. "You must be Alan Russell. Hi. Call me Blair."

"I didn't know you hung around with Jim after hours," Alan said.

Blair blushed. Why had Jim not told him that the two of them lived in the  
same place? Well, he wasn't going to let Jim get away with that, not when  
Jim had nearly frightened David off the first time he'd come to the loft. "I  
live here, man."

"You live with Jim?"

"Well, not *with* him. We're roommates."

"Oh."

"Listen, I forgot my manners back there. Please go on in. I have a date, and  
I'm late. Bye." And Blair breezed out, closing the door after Alan took the  
hint and went in.

Jim had not moved from the kitchen area. He'd heard everything, and was  
feeling a bit guilty for not telling Alan that Blair was his roommate.  
"Hey," he said as Alan looked around the loft.

"Nice place, Jim. Yours?"

"Yeah. Bought it a few years back."

"So, Sandburg says you two are roommates."

Jim explained about the drug lab and Blair's apartment blowing up. "I've  
kind of gotten used to him."

"And he doesn't mind that you're bi?" Alan was bi as well.

"Nah." Jim did Blair the same courtesy of not telling Alan anything about  
his Guide's own sexual orientation, even though he didn't know that Blair  
had done so. "He's pretty open-minded. *Way* open-minded, actually."

"Yeah, an anthropologist, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

***

Alan had brought three action movies: 'Die Hard', 'Speed' and 'Double  
Impact'. They ate on the couch (another rule that Jim worried about) while  
watching 'Speed', and the elevator scene made Jim really uncomfortable.

"What's the matter?" Alan asked, watching Jim squirm.

"I had a case like this. Galileo?"

"Before my time. Hijacked an elevator at the Wilkinson Tower, right?"

Jim nodded.

"But you got everybody out alive?"

"Yeah." Jim wondered if he should say any more. Finally he decided that  
Blair was, after all, his best friend, and Alan would have to know that  
sooner or later. "Blair was on the elevator."

"Wow, really? That must have been tough."

Jim couldn't help smiling with pride, remembering how his Guide had kept his  
cool and saved the day. "He really came through. Kept everyone calm, figured  
a way to save the hostages. His police experience helped, I know."

Alan looked at Jim appraisingly. "You sound proud."

Jim smiled again. "I am." He paused, looking at Alan. Alan looked a little...  
suspicious? "He's my best friend," Jim added.

"You really care about him." It was a statement.

"Yeah, I do." Jim turned toward the TV, then, effectively ending that line  
of conversation.

Before the last movie was over, the two cops were making out on the couch.  
Jim had forgotten what it was like to be held by a man, to hold one in  
return, to kiss and touch one with sex as the goal. He had... missed it.

"Oooh, yeah..." he mumbled, as Alan buried his face in his neck, and reached  
down a hand to caress Jim through his pants.

"Like that, Jim?"

Jim only groaned his approval, moving his hand so that he could return the  
favour, knowing even as he did it that this would not be enough, that they  
had crossed the line.

"Let's fuck," Alan whispered in his ear, sounding husky and seductive.

Jim didn't speak, he merely nodded. "Upstairs," he said, struggling out from  
underneath Alan, off the couch and leading the way up to his bedroom, the  
two of them shedding their clothes as they went.

Once there, Jim opened his nightstand and took out the condoms and lubricant  
which he had bought in preparation for something like this.

Alan laughed. "Boy scout, huh?"

"Army," Jim corrected. "Always anticipate."

"Wow, alliteration," Alan said, managing to sound both impressed and  
sarcastic at the same time.

"Are you going to fuck me or not?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to fuck you."

"Then shut up and get the hell over here."

***

Blair arrived back at the loft in the early hours of the morning. He'd  
considered staying the night at David's place, but David had a female  
roommate who tended to get upset at unwanted guests in the morning. "She  
doesn't want people in her 'space' when she's still half asleep," David had  
said by way of apology. Blair, who knew Lara a little from the university,  
understood completely. She was a friendly person, but she was highly strung  
and a bit controlling - like Jim in some ways.

Blair just shook his head at the trail of clothing which led from the couch  
up the stairs to Jim's bedroom. He guessed that Jim must have had a good  
time, much like the one he'd had tonight. It had been only the fourth time  
he and David had slept together, and the first time that David had topped  
him, but it had been really good, even if he was a bit sore. Still, thinking  
of it made him smile. He wondered idly who had done what in Jim's bedroom  
upstairs, then shook off the thought as unworthy. It wasn't any of his  
business; at least, not unless there was some connection to Jim's Sentinel  
abilities.

***

Alan woke up the next morning smelling food. Definitely eggs of some sort,  
sausages... He looked over at Jim, who was still asleep, grabbed Jim's robe  
off the closet door, and padded downstairs.

"Hey." Blair smiled at him. "Breakfast is almost ready. Why don't you go get  
Jim." He grinned: on weekends, despite his Sentinel abilities, Jim would  
sleep until forcibly awakened.

Alan went back up, where he leaned down and placed a kiss on his lover's  
mouth. "Oh, James? Time to rise and shine."

"Mmmmf," was all Jim could get out.

"Blair says breakfast is ready."

Jim cracked open one eye and looked at him. "Lemmealone," he mumbled.

Just then, a voice from the top of the stairs startled them both. "Jim, I  
said it's time for breakfast." Blair was used to dealing with a barely human  
Sentinel on weekends.

Jim opened the other eye. "All right already!"

Blair went back downstairs, leaving Alan staring after him. "Why do you  
listen to him?" he asked,

Jim groaned as he got out of bed. His ass really hurt this morning, but it  
had been worth it, oh yes. "He'll make my life hell if I don't. Trust me."  
Since Alan was wearing his robe, Jim fished an older one out of the closet.

They went down to breakfast, which consisted of toast, eggs and sausages.

"I thought you promised to make waffles this weekend," Jim pouted.

"Well, I got in really late and didn't feel up to it."

Jim frowned. "You didn't stay over?"

"No." Blair's eyes flicked to Alan and back. Oh well. The guy was bound to  
find out sooner or later. "David's roommate doesn't like people to stay over.  
They're in her space or something."

"Who's David?" Alan asked.

"The guy I'm seeing." Blair said it almost defiantly.

"Guy? I thought you were..." Alan trailed off, realising that Jim had never  
actually said that Blair was straight.

Blair just shrugged. "Straight?"

"Well... yeah."

"Nope." Blair went right back to eating, as if that ended it, but Alan still  
looked mighty confused.

"If you're both bi, why..." He paused. "Never mind. It isn't any of my  
business."

Jim just continued to wolf down his food, ignoring the conversation. It was  
the weekend and his brain was on a break.

Alan also seemed to decide that this topic was one better left alone.

"So, what are you guys gonna do today?" Blair asked.

"Well, I was thinking of asking Simon if we could use his season tickets to  
go to a ball game. He only goes when Daryl is available."

Blair knew about that. Simon had four tickets, and they often went with the  
captain and his son. "Sounds like fun."

"Hey, you and David wanna come along?" Jim asked, as if the idea had only  
now occurred to him, which it probably had.

"Won't we be... you know."

"No, Sandburg, I don't know. What?"

"Intruding on the two of you?"

"It's a ball game, Chief, not dinner and dancing."

"I can dance," Alan interjected.

The friends looked at him. "We'll save that for later," Jim said. He smirked.  
"I get to lead."

Alan pouted. "Why?"

"I'm taller."

"Lucky you aren't going out with Simon," Blair laughed. "He'd have to lead."

"Ooh, funny, Sandburg. Who leads when you dance?"

"I do." He paused for dramatic effect. "That's why I only dance with co-  
eds."

The three men laughed, and then Jim got serious again. "It's no problem,  
Chief. I know you like ball games."

"Okay. Great. I'll call David." Blair didn't mention that David wasn't  
particularly partial to sports, but he figured that he could talk him into  
going. If he and Jim were going to date people, they had to be able to hang  
around together. He and Jim already did a lot of things together, and he  
wanted their dates or lovers to be a part of that sometimes.

***

Blair called while Jim said goodbye to Alan, who had some errands to run  
before they went to the game. And surprisingly, David agreed to go to the  
game right away. "Sure. I love the Jags."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"Great. I'll be by to pick you up later, and we'll meet Jim and Alan at the  
ballpark, okay?"

"Sounds fine."

Blair said goodbye and hung up, to find Jim, back from walking Alan out,  
looking at him. "What?"

"You winced."

"Huh?"

"I have these senses, you know, Sandburg. You've been doing that since this  
morning. Everything okay?"

Blair blushed to the roots of his hair. "Ah, geez, Jim."

Jim wasn't quite sure how to ask his next question. "Uh, you haven't been  
doing anything... er..."

For Blair Sandburg, the best defense was sometimes a good offense.  
"Dangerous? Immoral? Illegal? Fattening? All of the above?"

"I'm just concerned about you, Chief."

"Well, I'm fine, man."

"You'd tell me if you weren't, right?"

"Of course I would, Jim, but there's nothing wrong. Come on, you date a guy  
too, you must know... you know."

Blair blushed again, and Jim finally 'got' it. "Oh. Yeah. Okay." He turned  
away abruptly, went to the sink and began to stack dishes for washing.

Blair came up behind him and spoke in a soothing tone. "You all right, Jim?"

"Yeah. Why don't you kick back and watch TV or read about some obscure tribe,  
okay? I'll just finish these." If Blair cooked, Jim washed. It was part of  
their agreement.

"Yeah, I'll do that." Blair ensconced himself on the couch and turned to the  
Discovery Channel.

***

The game went well, at least as far as their dates were concerned. Jim and  
Blair sat together with their dates on the outside of them. Not that Alan  
and David would have had much to say to each other in any case, though they  
were civil enough. Cops could be civil to anybody - it was required - and  
students usually found it easy to be civil when it suited them.

It was deciding what to do after the game that had Blair and Jim worrying.  
Jim had planned for Alan to come back to the loft with him since Alan was in  
the middle of painting his place, but Jim also knew that Blair would not be  
able to stay over at David's because of his roommate. He thought that  
perhaps Blair would like for David to stay at the loft. Jim thought hard  
about this. Once, he would have thought it awkward, but he didn't feel that  
way anymore, at least not as much. Maybe it would be okay. He could always  
ask Blair to set up the white noise generator downstairs so that he wouldn't  
hear things he shouldn't.

Jim waited until Blair's date went off to find some refreshments, then he  
asked Alan to do the same, turning to Blair as soon as Alan was out of sight.  
"Blair."

"Yeah?"

"I know I said... well, no sex in the loft... but.... uh..."

Blair just looked at him quizzically.

"Uh... if you want him to stay over... it's okay."

His Guide's face broke into a grin. "Really?"

"Yeah. Just turn on the white noise generator."

Blair punched Jim on the shoulder, his grin still in place. "No problem, Big  
Guy. Thanks."

***

Despite all their good intentions, things got awkward when they arrived back  
at the loft. "You guys want a beer?" Jim asked.

Alan accepted, but David looked nervous. "Uh... no, thanks. I don't drink  
that much."

Knowing Blair, Jim wasn't surprised that he had found a health fanatic.  
"Well, we have mineral water and juice."

"Uh... okay."

"Blair, get him some juice." Jim grinned at his partner.

"You're gonna pay for that one," Blair said, heading for the fridge and  
snagging a beer for himself and juice for his date. "We're gonna go in my  
room now, okay?" He said it somewhat nervously.

"Yeah, sure, Chief." Jim settled next to Alan on the couch and turned on the  
TV.

David followed Blair into the room, seeing it for the first time. "Isn't  
this kinda small?"

Blair looked around and shrugged, as he set up the white noise generator and  
turned it on, hoping David wouldn't ask what it was for. "Not really. I  
spend most of my time in the lounge anyway."

"And He doesn't bother you about it?" The way David said 'He' made Blair  
realise he was referring to Jim.

"Nah. I told you, we get on great. He's my best friend."

"He seems nice," David said quietly.

"Jim? He's cool. He does go off the deep end sometimes, but he's a cop; he's  
entitled." Blair sat down on the bed, putting his drink aside. "You wanna  
make out?"

David grinned. "Oh, yeah." He hadn't even opened his juice. He put it down,  
sat on the bed next to Blair and began kissing him.

***

Much, much later, the two of them were lying curled up naked under the  
covers, when they heard a series of distinct thumps emanating from the  
ceiling. David smiled, his head pillowed on Blair's chest. "Sounds like  
they're enjoying themselves."

"Yeah."

David judged that now might be the only time Blair would be inclined to  
answer this. "Why aren't you and He together?"

Blair was silent for a long time, then, finally, "I dunno. I've never  
thought about Jim that way."

"Never?"

"No. I thought he was straight; he thought I was straight. I guess I never  
let myself think that way."

"And now?"

"Now you and I are together, so what difference does it make?" Blair sounded  
uptight.

"It's just... you're so close."

"I told you..."

"Yeah, he's your best friend. But you love him." David said it with finality.

Blair lifted his head; craned his neck to look at David. "What?!"

"Come on, Blair. Any idiot can see how the two of you feel about each  
other."

"It's not like that, man," Blair insisted.

"Maybe you love him like a brother, but you do love him. And he loves you.  
He takes care of you in little ways. I saw you two out there today. And the  
way he calls you Darwin and Chief and even Sandburg... pet names, my friend.  
Pet names."

Blair scrambled away from his lover and sat up. "David, don't joke about  
this, okay?"

"Why? Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"Yeah!"

"Why?"

"It... it... it just does!" Blair was angry because he didn't *know* why  
talking about it made him uncomfortable. So he got defensive. "It sounds  
like you're trying to push me into Jim's arms. Is that what you want, huh?"

"No. But I want to know where I stand. I don't want you dumping me for Jim  
sometime in the future."

"I wouldn't!" It wasn't much of a protest.

"If he ever wanted you, you'd go to him. Tell me I'm wrong."

"Where the hell do you get off telling me this, huh?" Blair got out of the  
bed altogether. "Jim would never do that!"

"You didn't answer my question." David said it firmly, like he already knew  
the answer.

"I don't want to have this conversation anymore." Blair crossed his arms,  
his entire body in a negative pose. "I think you should go, okay?"

"I know we said no long-term commitments, but I... I care about you, Blair.  
I just want to know where I stand."

"Well, you've made that quite clear," Blair said angrily. "Haven't you?"

"I..."

"You're jealous of something you don't understand. You want to reduce it to  
something tawdry. But I'm not gonna stand for that, man. No way. So I think  
you should go."

David got up finally, and dressed very slowly. "I don't think even you  
understand, you know."

"Maybe not. But I don't wanna have you nagging me about it. Either you trust  
me or you don't."

David came forward, and kissed Blair's cheek. "I'm sorry, Blair. I really  
thought we could have something."

Blair felt sad that David didn't trust him. "Well, you ruined that, didn't  
you."

David smiled bitterly. "Maybe so. Too bad, you were a hell of a fuck."

Blair had seldom heard David use language like that, but all he could think  
of as a retort was, "So were you." It was, after all, true.

David left the room and the loft without bothering to reply, and Blair got  
back into bed, mumbling under his breath about stubborn people, and hoping  
that Jim had been too... er... *preoccupied* to hear the argument which had  
gone on. He knew they'd been talking at a volume which the white noise  
generator did not block out.

***

Once again, Alan woke up first the next morning. He didn't know, of course,  
that Jim allowed himself to dial down his senses on weekends so that he  
could take advantage of the break. He just thought that Jim was a late  
sleeper.

And once again, Alan found Blair cooking breakfast. "Do you always make  
breakfast?" he asked Blair.

"Well, I'm usually awake first on weekends, so on weekends I do. In the week  
we take turns. Whoever makes breakfast doesn't make supper, that kind of  
thing." He realised he was starting to babble, and shut up.

Alan leaned against the counter, again wearing Jim's robe, and observed the  
anthropologist as he worked. "So... you like living here?"

"Yeah, although it took a while to get used to all Jim's house rules."

Alan laughed. He'd known right away that Jim was a bit... anal retentive.  
"Like?"

"You know... I'm not allowed to flush the toilet after ten o'clock. He makes  
me use colour-coded containers. No sex in the loft. That sort of thing."

"Guess he suspended that one."

Blair was too busy with the waffle iron to pay much attention. "Which one?"

"No sex in the loft."

"Oh. Yeah."

"Speaking of, where's David?"

The question was casual, but Blair froze. "He left."

"This morning?"

"Last night."

By Blair's body language, Alan could see that there was something wrong.  
Like other cops, he could read people pretty well. "You guys have a fight?"

"Yeah." Blair finally looked up at him. "Can we please not talk about it?"

"Okay, sure. But lemme ask you this: why aren't you and Jim together?"

Blair banged the waffle iron; he couldn't help himself. "Not you, too! Why  
is it that everyone thinks Jim and I should be a hot item?"

"Everyone?"

"Well, David for one. Some people at the station. Even some of my students.  
We're *friends*. Just friends, okay!"

"You and Jim are very close, though."

"So we're close friends!" Blair sighed and went back to making the waffles.  
"Look, Alan, there are some things that you don't know about my relationship  
with Jim, but I promise you, we're not a couple."

"But you have fucked, right?"

"Why!" Blair yelled. "Why would you think that?!"

"Well... you two are so touchy-feely."

Blair grabbed onto the counter in order to stay calm. "We. Have. Not.  
Fucked." He wanted to tell Alan to get the hell out of the loft, but the guy  
was Jim's guest and he couldn't do that.

"Alan, get the hell out." Jim spoke from the bottom of the stairs.

Alan turned to face his lover. "I was just trying to clarify things."

"No, what you were doing is proving that you don't trust me. I told you I  
wouldn't screw around on you; wasn't that enough?"

"I thought so, but honestly Jim, what was I supposed to think, you two  
living here together?"

"But you couldn't ask me, you had to interrogate Sandburg."

"You would have blown a gasket, like you're doing now."

"Maybe; maybe not. But you didn't need to hurt my best friend. So just leave,  
before I get really mad." Jim's voice was low and threatening. He was in  
'Blessed Protector' mode, which Blair realised even if Alan didn't.

Alan went back upstairs to dress, and Jim and Blair just waited downstairs,  
looking at each other in helplessness.

They waited until the other cop had left before Jim spoke. "I'm sorry about  
that, Chief."

"It's not your fault, Jim. David thought the same thing. Is... are we giving  
off signals or something?"

"I think they're just assholes, Chief, that's all." Jim lifted his head. "Is  
something burning?"

"Shit!" Blair turned to rescue the breakfast, but it was too late. "Damn it!  
I burned the waffles." He began to scrape the burnt bits out of the waffle  
iron.

Jim smiled as he stood there watching his Guide. His Guide, who had made  
waffles because his Sentinel had wanted some.

"Ow!" Blair stepped back as he burnt himself on the still-hot metal.

Jim was around the counter and holding Blair's hand under cold water before  
either of them even really noticed. It was just an automatic reaction. "Feel  
better now, Chief?"

Blair looked up at Jim, even as Jim continued to hold his hand, massaging it  
under the water. "Yeah."

But Jim didn't let go. Those comments... they had angered him, because he  
could see that they'd hurt Blair. And Jim would die before letting anything  
or anyone hurt Blair. Blair was his Guide. Blair was his... Blair was *his*.

And now Blair was looking up at him, as if he had come to the same  
conclusion. "Chief... do you..." Jim's voice faded, and he had to clear his  
throat. "Do you think that maybe... maybe those schmucks were right?"

"About us?" It was said in a very small voice.

"Yeah. I mean..." Jim noticed that he was still holding and massaging  
Blair's hand, so he let go, turning the water off. "I mean, why haven't we  
ever looked at each other?"

Blair smiled, and Jim felt happier. Things would be fine if Blair was  
smiling. "We each thought the other was straight, Big Guy. And then... I  
dunno. I thought that maybe you just didn't want to date guys. And you're my  
best friend... it never occurred to me to look at you that way."

"Yeah, me neither. I always accepted that you were mine... my Guide, if not  
sexually. But now..." Jim gave Blair a good, long once-over, which had the  
anthropologist shivering. "I could want you that way. I could."

Blair reached up and placed a hand on Jim's chest. Jim had come down the  
stairs in only his boxers. "I think... I think I *do* want you that way." He  
stepped back. "David said... he said that he could tell that we love each  
other. Is he right? Because while uncomplicated sex is great, if what he  
said is true then we need to tread carefully."

"I do love you, Chief. If... if we do this, I think it would be so good."

"I love you too, Jim. I just don't wanna do this because we were pushed into  
it. What you and I have is more than sex, and I'm afraid that adding sex  
will make it something *less*. Can you understand that?"

"Perfectly." Jim paused. "But I think sex could be the final bond." He  
swallowed. "I mean, Chief, you're always going on about Sentinels and Guides  
and the bonds they formed... I think sex could be a part of that."

Blair desperately wanted for that to be true, but he was still afraid. "And  
what if it isn't? What if we fuck, and it ruins everything?"

Jim took the last chance. "We'll never know until we try. Say you're willing  
to try, Blair."

"Only an idiot would turn down a chance to sleep with you, Jim, but..."  
Blair thought for a second. "How's this - we try it once. Now. If it doesn't  
work, if we feel that our interpersonal dynamic has changed, we give it up  
as a bad idea and pull a Tasha Yar."

"Who?"

"You know - 'it never happened'."

"I can live with that," Jim said, and leaned down to kiss his partner.

***

Kissing Blair was *nothing* like kissing Alan had been. It was nothing like  
kissing Carolyn had been, for that matter, or Emily, or any of the other  
women or men he'd kissed in his life. No - for one thing, Blair was the most  
aggressive kisser he'd ever met. His Guide dived right in and seemed to be  
prospecting for minerals. G-d! He was invaded and possessed by that talented  
tongue, which was doing a better oral examination than any dentist he'd ever  
been to. And there was heat and tiny explosions of sensation everywhere that  
Blair Sandburg's tongue touched. Jim felt as though he'd been dropped back  
into a sweltering jungle. And taste... Jim could break down each component  
of his Guide's taste and list them if he so chose, but right now they were  
all combining to make him crazy, to make him want and need Blair. Jim had to  
pull away finally, or pass out from the intensity.

"Jim?" Blair was breathing heavily, and Jim could feel that his temperature  
had risen too.

"That was... I want you so bad, Chief. I think I could come from just  
kissing you."

Blair reached down and rubbed the hardness that was in no way concealed by  
the boxer shorts. Jim gasped, pulling his friend's hand away. "Don't! I'll  
come!"

"Maybe I want you to," his Guide said seductively.

"Not until I've touched you," Jim responded, putting his hand *inside* the  
sweatpants which Blair had thrown on so that he could make breakfast. He was  
startled for a second when he noted that his Guide was not wearing  
underwear; but then, he had probably been planning to change into something  
a bit more presentable. Jim's hand encountered hard flesh, and he gave in to  
the impulse to squeeze gently.

"Jim!" Blair arched against him, and resumed his exploration of Jim's boxer-  
covered crotch.

It was going to happen: right here, in the kitchen, by the sink. It was  
going to happen. Jim leaned down again, taking control of the kiss this time,  
doing his own exploration, even as his hand wrapped firmly around his  
partner's erection, even as he felt Blair's hand wrap around him, shorts and  
all.

They stood there, in the kitchen, kissing and holding onto one another with  
one hand each, their other hands bringing the pleasure they had never  
considered giving each other before now.

Jim came first, tightening his grip on Blair, arching against him, into his  
hand. The intense pleasure receding, he resumed his pumping of his partner,  
until Blair reciprocated, and spilled his own completion into the hand of  
his Sentinel.

"Oh G-d." Blair spoke first. "If just a hand job was so great, sex is gonna  
do us serious damage." He laughed into Jim's chest, and felt Jim laughing  
with him.

"I think you're right about that, Chief. We're in serious trouble here." Jim  
looked down at him with such love and tenderness that Blair knew neither of  
them would ever be able to pretend it had never happened. But he had to be  
sure.

"Jim? Are we still... okay?"

"So far." Jim let him go, then, and stepped back. "I've had sex with quite a  
few people, Blair, and none of them have ever made me feel this way. How the  
hell did we miss this?!"

"Ditto, man, ditto. And I think we weren't looking for it, that's why we  
missed it."

Jim looked down at his stained boxers. "Look what you did."

"Hey, my sweatpants have that Arctic fleece stuff inside. You think that's  
gonna be easy to clean?!"

Jim ran a hand into his Guide's beautiful hair. "Let's go upstairs and do it  
properly, huh?"

***

There were a few things to take care of first: Blair had to unplug the  
waffle iron, and both decided that they were a bit sticky and needed a  
shower. "You go first, Chief," Jim said, remembering that his bed upstairs  
still bore the evidence of his and Alan's sexual activities from the night  
before. He wanted to change the bedding.

So Blair ended up by himself in the shower, using a lukewarm temperature so  
that he didn't waste all the hot water. He used Jim's soap, wanting to smell  
like Jim, to wash away all traces of what he and David had done last night.  
He wanted to be clean and fresh when he and Jim made love.

*Jim*. It was shocking to the anthropologist how badly he wanted to be with  
Jim. And it was true that he'd never thought about Jim that way before. Oh,  
sure, he'd *thought* about it, but it had been fleeting, kind of a general  
'Hm, wonder what Jim is like in bed,' not this desperate wanting that he  
felt now. Not this genuine desire to *be* with Jim. No, he'd never thought  
of Jim and himself that way before.

Blair knew that Jim would be able to tell that he was getting excited again,  
but he didn't do anything to stop his desire. He wanted Jim, it was as  
simple as that.

***

Jim came down the stairs to find Blair towelling his hair in the bathroom.  
"I won't be long, Chief. Am I taking a cold shower?" It was said in a  
humorous tone, to allow Blair to see that he was joking.

"No, Big Guy, I left you some hot water." His Guide took a breath and said  
seductively, "Don't be long," as he snapped the towel in Jim's direction and  
exited the bathroom.

Jim just shook his head, smiling to himself, and got in the shower. He had  
much the same thoughts as Blair. Sure, he had often mused to himself that  
Blair must be good in bed - how else did he manage to snag everything in a  
skirt in a thirty-mile radius? - but he had never thought of *himself* with  
Blair. Now that he was thinking this way... it seemed natural. It seemed  
right. Maybe is theory was correct: maybe they were meant to connect this  
way. Or maybe this was just love, and totally separate from the whole  
Sentinel-Guide thing.

Either way, it didn't matter. He did love Blair. Blair loved him. And now  
they were going to make love.

When Jim came up the stairs, Blair was sitting cross-legged on the bed,  
totally naked, looking as though he were meditating. "Chief?"

Blair opened his eyes. "Hey, Jim. Just centring myself."

Jim sat down on the edge of the bed. "That's a good idea. Look, Blair, I  
want you, but we haven't even discussed..." He gestured at the bed.

His Guide just grinned. "We could flip a coin."

"I need to know, Chief." His tone was serious. "Which do you prefer?"

Blair continued to grin. "I go both ways."

"Sandburg!"

The grin didn't falter, it merely formed into a genuine smile. "What about  
you?"

Jim blushed. "I... I can go both ways, too. But..." He trailed off, unable  
to say anymore.

"But..."

"I prefer... you know."

"Jim, now is so not the time to get uncommunicative." Blair could figure why  
Jim was blushing, but he wanted him to say what he wanted.

"I prefer bottoming, okay?" Jim's cheeks were bright red.

"Always, or is this a recent thing because of your Sentinel abilities? I  
mean, you must be able to feel... you know." Blair began to blush as well,  
realising what he was saying.

"Always, Chief." Jim locked eyes with his Guide.

"And this isn't because of yesterday, when you saw that I was sore?"

"No."

"Okay. Just checking."

Jim decided that was enough talking. He simply leaned over and kissed his  
partner, taking his mouth forcefully, yet gently, covering Blair's erection  
with his hand. "I want you inside," he said when the kiss ended.

"G-d, Jim."

"Now, Chief." Jim turned and lay on the bed, face-down.

Blair was so hard he hurt. He wanted Jim so much that he had to pull back a  
minute and consciously *think* about preparation. "Lube and stuff?" he asked  
succinctly.

"Drawer," his Sentinel replied, his voice somewhat muffled in the pillow.

Blair fished the requirements out of the nightstand, determined not to think  
about the last time these had been used. He was about to snag a condom from  
the box (only Jim would buy an economy-size box, he thought) when his  
Sentinel sat up again and looked into his eyes.

"Chief."

"Uh, yeah."

"Don't use that."

"What?" Blair was shocked. He had never, but never, had sex without a  
condom. It had been drummed into him from when he'd hit puberty: safety  
first. It had been one of the things that his mother had stressed you did  
not compromise on. He tried to reconcile this with what Jim was asking of  
him: Jim, his Sentinel, for whom he would do anything. "Jim, man, I've  
never..." His voice faltered, as did his excitement, a little. "I've  
*always* used one."

"That's why I'm not afraid. I have, since the early eighties, except for  
when I was married to Carolyn. And I love you. We've both been tested... I  
want this."

"I..." Blair knew he should refuse, but then he thought about it. Jim was a  
Sentinel who couldn't use his abilities too much during lovemaking. He,  
Blair Sandburg, was the one person with whom Jim could be himself... in  
every way. "Okay."

Jim lay down again. "Make love to me, Chief."

Just seeing Jim that way made Blair hard again. He moved so that he sat in  
between Jim's legs, and coated his fingers with the slippery substance. He  
had hardly touched Jim when he felt the cop relax and let him in. Blair  
smiled, moving his finger about a little, watching as Jim writhed against  
the bedcover. "More?"

"Just do it, Blair."

"All righty, then." Blair coated himself with the gel, pondering that Jim  
sounded like a Nike commercial and he sounded like Ace Ventura. They could  
laugh about it later; right now he had other things on his mind. Things like  
getting inside Jim before they both exploded.

Blair moved, taking hold of himself and pushing gently, then more firmly,  
until he was inside Jim, lying over him. And, oh, it did feel good.

Jim shuddered as Blair slid inside him in almost one continuous stroke. Oh,  
yes, *this* was how it was supposed to feel. This was how it was meant to  
be. He waited just a few seconds, and then writhed against Blair, showing  
that he was ready.

Blair moved, then, and slipped out, not quite used to this position. But  
before Jim could feel the loss, he reoriented himself and tried again. And  
this time it worked. He was inside Jim. He was *making love* to Jim...  
*They* were making love...

By the noises that the Sentinel was making, Blair could tell that he was  
enjoying this, and, bracing himself against the bedcover, he sped up a  
little, his own pleasure increasing.

Jim snaked a hand beneath himself, pleasuring himself right along with his  
Guide. It felt like nothing ever had: whether it was because they were naked  
with each other, or simply because it was *Blair*, he didn't know. He didn't  
particularly care. All he wanted was for this feeling of completeness and  
pleasure to go on forever.

Blair wanted exactly the same thing, but all too soon he felt the end  
approaching. "Jim...!" was all he could manage as he thrust harder and  
faster, gripping the bedcovers tightly, the thought that he would actually  
be coming *into* someone for the first time turning him on more than ever.  
And because it was Jim... "Oh-oh-oh!" Blair orgasmed, releasing his semen  
into his lover's body.

Jim came, right along with Blair, when he felt it. He knew people weren't  
supposed to, but he'd known he would. The Sentinel abilities had to be good  
for something. "Aaah! Blair!" Jim yelled, spurting his own completion over  
his pristine coverlet.

***

Blair came back to himself plastered along Jim's back. "Oh wow," was all he  
could think of to say.

"Yeah," Jim agreed, and Blair could hear the smile in his voice.

"I love you, Jim," the Guide said, so softly that no one but Jim would have  
been able to hear it.

"I know, Chief." Jim squirmed out from under his lover and took him into his  
arms. "I love you, so much." A long pause. "Has this changed our...  
*dynamic*?"

"Oh, yeah." Blair felt Jim tense up. "But only in a good way, Jim. In a good  
way."

"And this is how it's going to be." The cop said it as a statement, because  
in his heart he knew it to be the truth.

"Yeah." Blair already sounded sleepy.

"Hey, Chief?" Jim asked, knowing that he'd also be asleep soon.

"Hmm?"

"Think we should send Dave and Alan flowers? To thank them? I mean if it  
hadn't been for them, we wouldn't be here right now."

Blair opened one eye and grinned at Jim.

"Naaah," they said together.

THE END


End file.
